Ogun State traditional ruler jailed for six months after being found guilty of impersonation

OGUN State traditional ruler the Osolo of Ado-Odo Muftau Dosunmu has been sentenced to six months imprisonment by an Abeokuta Magistrates Court for impersonation after he refused to stop presenting himself as a monarch.

Earlier this week, the Chief Magistrates Court sitting in Isabo, Abeokuta, sentenced Chief Dosunmu, to six months in prison for presenting himself as an oba. The Osolo title, which is one of the high chiefs in Ado-Odo in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, was upgraded to a coronet oba by the past administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun, along with 74 others across the state.

However,  Governor Dapo Abiodun's administration has since its assumption of office reversed the upgrade of all 75 obas. Although the monarchs claimed they have secured a high court judgement against the state, the government insists that they should stop parading themselves as traditional rulers.

In his case, the Osolo was dragged to court for alleged impersonation and disturbance of peace within the Ado-Odo magisterial district. He was accused of parading himself as an oba and donning regalia and a beaded crown, despite lacking the rightful title, thereby violating Section 23(2)(c) of the Obas and Chiefs Law of Ogun State.

Chief Dosunmu was said to have installed one Alabi Afizu as the Babaloja of Ado-Odo in March 2022, contravening Section 249(1)(d) of the Criminal Code Law. In addition, Chief Dosunmu was charged for instructing a town crier to announce movement restrictions due to spiritual rites between April 2022 and August 2022, leading to charges under Section 249(1)(d) and 200 of the Criminal Code Law.

Another count stated that Chief Dosunmu identified himself as the Olofin of Ado-Odo and paraded himself as the Osolo of Ado-Odo between April 2022 and July 2023. In her ruling, Chief Magistrate Idowu declared that Chief Dosunmu was found guilty of six counts and sentenced him to six months imprisonment.

Chief Dosunmu said: “I got a letter of upgrading as a coronet oba and I waited till we won a case filed before Justice Adeyemi of the state high court before I did my traditional rites. We have a high court judgement clearing the 75 obas and I was joined in the case, even though I wasn’t a party initially.

"I didn’t do anything wrong after my traditional rites, I was only awarded honorary titles. That’s where the problem started with a few people in the town, who cooked lies against me. These people threatened me with the police and I was dragged to Zone Two police headquarters in Lagos but the police said I didn’t do anything wrong.

"They returned to Ogun to continue with the police threat but my lawyer told them that they could not be victimising a man who had a high court judgement. So, they filed a suit against me at the magistrate’s court.”